Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-02-13
LAND TRAVEL IN NORWAY.

Excellent Roads aud Comfortable We
hicies- Fast and Slow station, ms.
The land travelling in Norway has come
TO be very comfortable; the roads are ex-
cellent. Apart from a railroad for a
short distance out from Bergen and a
railroad from Christiania to ~Trendhjem
there are substantially no public convey
ances. You travel in two wheel vehicles
known as carioles, which carry only one
person, or in a stolkjaerre, which carries
two. There are no springs, except that
obtained by an arrangement OF tho seat;
but this makes them generally very CON-
Portable. You drive yourself, and the
boy or girl who is to take the horse and
vehicle back stands or sits or hangs be-
hind. He will drive from behind if you
desire. The way the Norwegian horses
have of going at q breakneck pace down
hill reminds me Of u boyish expression.
''lickety cut" You can ordinarily make
about eight miles an hour, including Q
change of horses, If you are not detained
by the fact that SO many travellers have
gone before you that they have exhausted
the supply of horses, in which case you
may have to wait some hours.
The charge for vehicles in Norway is
very reasonable. Stations are established
al distances of about eight or ten miles.
These stations are of two classes-one is
a fast and the other an ordinary station.
At the fast stations there must always be
kept q specified number Of horses ready
for travellers except when they are in use
by preceding travellers. At the slow sta
tons no horses are required to be kept,
but time is given to send out to the
farmers near and bring them in. There
is, however. a system which is not much
used by which you may send a notiiica-
ton ahead and have horses ready ever at
the slow stations. In theory all the
horses are furnished by the farmers.
This is required at a price so low that it
is regarded as a tax upon them, but
since travelling has increased 70 much
arrangements seem to have been made
by which the keeper of the station as
sumes the farmers burden and furnishes
the horses. They are also required to
furnish a vehicle, but this obligation only
extends to the rough country cariole OF
two wheels, with only a seat for one, and
without springs. In fact, however, the
vehicles furnished are quite comfortable.
At a fast station you pay less than five
cents a kilometer for the horse, harness
and vehicle, and the boy TO take it back.
IL you get a stolkjaerre, which has seats
for two. you pay about seven cents.
Sixteen kilometers are equal TO ten miles.
Tho amount Of baggage allowed is
small, yet sufficient for an ordinary trav-
elers use. In the stolkjaerre it goes
under the seat, where there is plenty Of
room. In q cariole it is fastened behind,
and the skyd, which is the name Of the
boy who goes along to take the vehicle
back. rides OF stands upon it. You can
always carry in a cariole small parcel
on the floor between your legs--and
fasten something TO the dashboard, or
what takes the place of it. Ii is astonish-
ing how enduring the Norwegian horses
are. They are tough. small, sure footed,
good natured animals. who will start out
at a trot and keep it upthirty miles with.
Jul BolHB tiidt uioldntt HI iouI
hours. The harness is of the simplest
possible make. There are no traces, even
when you have two horses, but always
shafts. to which the harness is fastened
by pegs. There is an arch of wood over
the horses head, through rings in which
the reins pass, and which is arranged so
as to take much of the weight from the
collar. The reins are cope or twisted
leather.
The hotels or inns arc comfortable,
with no elegance, but always. without
exception, clean. and the food is fair. In
these respects Norway has made great
improvements within a few years. and
improvements are going on in increased
ratio. The scenery in riding in Norway,
much of it, is exceedingly beautiful. !
can imagine no more beautiful ride than
that Of the four or five days trip from
Bergen TO Christiana. Col George Bliss
in New York Times.